The present invention relates in general to a bill acceptor, and more particularly to a rotating bill acceptor for use with a gaming device.
Gaming devices currently employ bill acceptors which arrange and store bills in a receptacle or cash box. Collection personnel in casinos or other gaming establishments regularly open gaming devices to access the bill acceptors and remove the bills. It is not uncommon for gaming devices to store $20,000 or more between collection cycles, and thus operators of gaming machines take special precautions to safeguard such devices.
Accordingly, secure bill acceptors have been added to different gaming devices such as slot machines and video poker machines. One drawback of certain currently available bill acceptors is that their cash boxes are difficult to access by collection personnel. For example, in some machines, bill acceptors are mounted in a large steel box on the side of the device. In other designs, the bill acceptors are mounted towards the back of the device. Collection personnel prefer that the bill acceptors be integrated into the gaming devices at locations and in arrangements such that the cash boxes are easy to access.
It should also be appreciated that gaming devices generally include a bill insertion slot in the front of the housing or cabinet of the gaming device. Preferably, this bill insertion slot is located on the gaming device in the player""s cone or line of sight (i.e., the region of the gaming device in the player""s view when the player is focusing on the display). However, positioning the bill acceptors in the gaming devices at locations that are easily accessible by the collection personnel has in some instances required locating the bill insertion slot outside the player""s cone of sight, requiring that the player search and then reach out to the insertion slot to insert a bill. This can be awkward for the player. Gaming devices that are awkward to use may not be popular with players.
One attempt to solve this problem is to utilize movable secure bill acceptors which have bill insertion slots that are in the player""s cone of sight. These movable secure bill acceptors enable the collection personnel to reposition the bill acceptor, making accessing the cash box easier. However, certain currently available bill acceptors employ piston-like devices that are subject to substantial wear. Accordingly, there is a need for a convenient bill acceptor which is not subject to substantial wear and which enables operators to easily access the cash box of the bill acceptor.
The present invention provides a rotating bill acceptor, and more particularly a rotating bill acceptor for use with a gaming device. The rotating bill acceptor of the present invention includes a body that defines a bill insertion slot, wherein the bill insertion slot is mounted within the player""s cone or line of sight. The bill acceptor of the present invention is adapted to rotate or pivot about a pivot point from a bill insertion position to a bill removal position and back. By rotating the bill acceptor, an operator may readily remove a cash box when the bill acceptor rests in the bill removal position. The rotation allows the removal to take place without interference from nearby components, such as the player rest or bolster. After the operator replaces the cash box, the operator rotates the bill acceptor in the reverse direction to the bill insertion position.
The bill acceptor includes an engagement member that engages a locking mechanism attached to the housing or cabinet of the gaming device. In one embodiment, the engagement member is a bracket connected to the body of the bill acceptor. The engagement member has an elongated portion and hooks extending generally transversely from the bottom of the elongated portion. The hooks are adapted to engage the locking mechanism which, in one embodiment, includes a pin or set of pins connected to an interior surface of the housing or cabinet of the gaming device. In this embodiment, when the rotating bill acceptor is in the bill insertion position, a first hook engages a first pin. In the bill removal position, a second hook engages a second pin. The engagement member includes a lever that enables collection personnel to move the engagement member relative to the body of the bill acceptor such that the hook disengages the first pin and engages the second pin.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the engagement member of the rotating bill acceptor is slideably attached to the base of the body of the bill acceptor. The engagement member has only one hook. In the bill insertion position, the engagement member engages a locking mechanism which, here, is a pin connected to an interior surface of the housing or cabinet of the gaming device. The engagement member is in a position closest to the front portion of the bill acceptor when it engages the pin.
The bill acceptor includes a door pivotably connected to the body of the bill acceptor by a hinge at a base of the body. The hinge enables the door, when opened, to rotate downward. The door includes a locking device in its front to secure the door in the closed position prior to bill removal.
To remove the cashbox, the locking device is actuated to unlock the door of the bill acceptor body. The door is rotated downwardly. As the door rotates downwardly, the base of the door engages the engagement member. The engagement member slides along the base of the bill acceptor body towards the back of the bill acceptor body. The hook of the engagement member disengages the pin. The bill acceptor then rotates downwardly at a point where the back portion of the bill acceptor is hingedly connected to the interior surface of the gaming device. The bill acceptor is then in a position for easy removal of the cash box. Accordingly, the door of the bill acceptor of the present invention serves a dual purpose. The door is opened to provide access to the cash box and to cause the bill acceptor to rotate downwardly into a more accessible position. Thus, removing the cash box is facilitated by one easy step.
It is therefore an advantage of the present invention to provide a rotating bill acceptor for use with a gaming device.
It is also an advantage to provide a bill acceptor that gives access to a cash box and to an operator via one manual movement. Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, elements, components, steps and processes.